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Saturday, 13 June 2015

If you haven't entered our prize draw, there is still time to be in with a chance of winning a trip to the brand-new Sandals Barbados, which recently underwent a $65 million makeover. The lucky winner and a friend will get a 7-night holiday in a Crystal Lagoon Butler Suite with a personal butler. Don't forget -- you gain an entry for every friend who enters the prize draw.

The prize includes:

Direct return flights with British Airways or Virgin Atlantic

A 7-night all-inclusive stay at Sandals Barbados

Your very own butler

All meals, snacks and premium-brand drinks at the resort's 18 gourmet restaurants and bars

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Banks are rarely mentioned in glowing terms. I oft hear growls of two varieties. First, moral turpitude, evidenced by huge fines such as Lloyds' for recent PPI mishandling, Barclays' for market rigging and HSBC's for aiding tax avoidance.

Then there's terrible service. Last week in my This Morning phone-in, a recent graduate asked: "I'm £1,500 overdrawn at 0% till Aug 2016. I can reduce it by £100+/mth, but the bank wants me to convert it to a loan [likely at 10%+]. Should I?" NO. Why pay interest? A reminder it's a bank's job to sell, not advise, so I say:

If your bank's a b*****d, don't bitch, just switch.

Yet in the last year, only 2% of people have. Thankfully, though, you can do it right now, and a continued price war to draw in your custom has just kicked up a notch. Here are the 10 need-to-knows...

1.

Seven-day switching means it's mostly no hassle. Seven-day switching is now almost 2yrs old. Within seven working days, your new bank will...

- Switch your direct debits and standing orders for you. - Close your old account & ensure all payments to it go to the new one.

In Feb, I did a snap Facebook poll on switching - 82% of 220 who'd switched since 7-day switching began found it 'easy and hassle-free'. Only 4% had problems. And I constantly get tweets such as Mark's last week: "Just switched. First Direct has been brilliant. Easiest money I've made."

What counts as switching to get the perks? Full account-by-account info in Top Bank Accounts. For most accounts below, to get the perk and fee-free banking, you must switch via the bank's switching service and...

a) Pass a credit check, though these aren't normally too harsh. b) Most require a 'min monthly deposit'. In reality, it's just how they ensure you pay your income in there. A £500/mth pay-in = £6,000/yr salary. If this may be tricky for you, see point 5. c) Many require you to have a couple of direct debits/standing orders.

2.

New. Earn 5% interest + £100. Until this week, TSB's* Classic Plus's big sell was that it paid the highest in-credit interest at 5% AER variable (Nationwide matches it, but only for a year), though only on up to £2,000.

This week it added a free £100 for switchers, too, substantially increasing the appeal, though you must apply by 28 June. Below, I compare it to the top 'free cash' and 'savings interest' deals. As you'll see, it by no means wins for all, but for those with smaller savings, it's a powerful new offer and shows how competitive the market is.

3.

Free £150 for switching. Some banks want you so much they pay you to switch, and this bribe is tax-free. Here are the main players, including their customer service rankings from our Feb poll (see poll results)...

- Free £150:Clydesdale's* Current Account Direct pays big; it also pays 2% AER variable on up to £3k. Customer service rating: just 39% great.

Top for savings interest: 3% on £20,000. The alternative way to suck in customers, rather than cash bribes, is to pay loss-leading interest rates for those in credit. As with normal savings, the interest is taxed.

- 3% interest + up to 3% cashback: Santander 123* pays 3% AER variable interest if you've £3,000 to £20,000 in it - double the best-buy normal easy-access savings. Couples can open one each and a joint one, provided they meet all the criteria, so that's a max £60,000 saved between two. No other easy-access account pays well on anything close to that.

- Earn 4% on £4,000-£5,000:Club Lloyds* pays 4% AER variable. - Earn 5% on up to £2,000 + £100:TSB* pays 5% AER variable - and as explained earlier now gives £100 cashback.- Get £5 each month you stay in credit (+£100):Halifax Reward* pays this regardless of how much you have. As it's after basic-rate tax, it beats TSB for most averaging under £1,500 in their account.- Saving monthly? Two free £100 accounts, First Direct* & M&S* (free gift card), have linked 6% regular savers for saving up to £300 & £250/mth. Open more than one to save large sums? It can be tricky, but for a list of all top bank savings and how to combine them, see the 5% Savings Loophole.

5

Free £100 for switching and you needn't pay in owt. Many with uncertain incomes tell us they worry about banks' 'minimum pay-in' terms. This doesn't mean you must be in credit, only that you need to pay in a set amount. It's banks' way of ensuring your income/salary goes through the account. Eg, £1,000/mth equals a £13,200/yr pre-tax salary.

M&S Bank*, which gives a £100 M&S gift card for switching, a £100 0% overdraft & linked 6% savings, is the only top pick with no minimum pay-in.

Can I jemmy the pay-in? Yes. The rules say you need to pay in a set amount from external sources. So let's say you want a £1,000 pay-in but only have £500 coming in. Get the £500 paid in, withdraw it either as cash or to another bank, then pay it back in, and BINGO, you've qualified.

6.

Which pays more - free cash or bank savings interest? As a rough rule of thumb, if you've £10,000+, Santander 123* always wins. Below that, it's close - to work out which wins, we need to get a little nerdy...

a) How often will you switch? You could switch annually (or more often) to keep bagging free £100s. To earn more in bank savings needs £3,000+. If you just want one account to stick with, as savings pay each year, they win. b) Where'd you save it otherwise? The top savings accounts pay 1.5% AER, so you can earn that without switching bank. So if bank savings pay, for example, 3%, then the gain from choosing it as your bank is 1.5%.

c) Tax. The free cash for switching is tax-free, but interest is taxed like income, eg, at basic rate you lose 20% of it (higher rate, it's 40%). So £100 free cash is £100, but £100 interest is £80 (£60 at higher rate).

As you can see, there are a lot of variables, but in a nutshell, if you don't want to regularly switch and you have above, say, £4,000, then high-interest current accounts win. PS: Also read my Santander 123 vs Cash ISA analysis.

7.

How to cut overdraft charges to 0%. An overdraft's a debt like any other, so if you often go into the red, cutting its cost makes it easier to clear.

- Switch to 0% overdraft.First Direct* has a £250 0% overdraft, and you can put the £100 it pays switchers towards it, too. Nationwide's FlexDirect* may give a bigger 0% overdraft, credit score depending, but only for a year (50p/day after, so aim to clear before). Eligibility info: Top 0% Overdrafts.

- Shift it to a 0% credit card. Some MBNA cards let newbies do 0% money transfers, where they pay cash in your account to clear overdrafts, so you owe the card instead. There's up to 36mths 0%* for a 2.99% fee (min £3), or up to 24 mths 0%*, if you can repay quicker, for just a 1.94% fee (min £3). Yet always...

(i) Use our Eligibility Calc to see which card's most likely to accept you. (ii) Ask for a 'money transfer' to do this; don't just withdraw cash. (iii) Never miss a min monthly repayment or you can lose the 0% deal. (iv) Ensure you repay before the 0% ends or rates jump to 22.9% rep APR. Full help in Money Transfers.

8.

Free travel insurance bank accounts. The Nationwide FlexAccount* is fee-free and includes Europe travel insurance for the account holder(s) up to age 74 (which is when travel insurance gets expensive). You can upgrade to world cover for £40. Full eligibility info and more options in Best Bank Accounts, or see Cheap Travel Insurance to compare.

Or pay £10/mth and the Nationwide FlexPlus* gives worldwide family travel insurance, plus smartphone insurance for all the family (kids must live at home) and European breakdown cover. A family needing 'em all could pay £600/yr separately. See Top Packaged Accounts for more options.

As with all travel policies, always disclose pre-existing conditions.

9.

Fed up with banks? Want something different? Here we factor in both perks and the rating given by Ethical Consumer, which evaluates behaviour on the environment, human & animal rights, politics and investments.

Can't get a bank account? There is a way. Sadly, more than a million people in the UK don't have a bank account. Yet as long as you've ID, you should be able to get an account, though you need to ask the right way. See our full Basic Bank Accounts guide for step-by-step help.

New 3.5% loan. Rates have dived. In recent years, while APRs for bigger loans have been decent, even the cheapest small loans have been outrageously expensive, so to have a list of best buys all in single-digit APRs is a welcome change.

Warning: Applying marks your credit file, so first find which loans you're most likely to be accepted for using our Loans Eligibility Calc so you can minimise applications.

For smaller amounts, 0% credit card loans win. A few specialist cards allow money transfers, where the card pays cash into your bank account like a loan, then you owe it instead. Accepted new MBNA* (Eligibility Calc) cardholders can get up to 2yrs 0% for just a 1.94% one-off fee (min £3). Just never miss a min repayment and clear before the 0% ends or it's 22.9% rep APR. FULL step-by-step help & more best buys in Money Transfers.

A 3.5% loan can charge you 20%. All loans are now 'representative' rate, meaning only 51% of those accepted need to be given that rate and the rest could pay more. The only way to know is to apply, and that marks your credit file. Our Loans Eligibility Calc (it performs a 'soft-search' that lenders can't see) can't tell you if you'll get the rate, but shows acceptance odds - the higher they are, anecdotally, the more likely you'll get the advertised rate.

Cheapest energy deals for three years - save £280/yrThere's a hidden energy price war - while standard prices are unchanged, switchers' deal prices are falling The new energy secretary's wagged her fingers at the 'Big 6' firms for not cutting prices. Yet don't be fuel-ish and wait for politicians to deliver - the cheapest deals for around three years are available now, if you're willing to ditch & switch.

Urgent. Cheap 1yr fix ends Mon + get £30 cashback. The two winners right now are 'collective deals' - bespoke tariffs organised through a bidding process.

- MoneySup's* 1yr E.on fix closes on Mon. For someone with typical use, it averages £877/yr, a £278/yr saving over a Big 6 standard tariff. It has no early-exit penalties, so you're free to leave if things change, and via our link, not direct, switchers get £30 dual-fuel cashback (takes 3-6mths to arrive). It does a full comparison as part of it, so you can see how it adds up (ensure 'all tariffs' is selected).

- Ichoosr's British Gas July 2016 fix averages £2 a year less than MoneySup, but it has £30/fuel exit penalties and no cashback. One warning here, there's no comparison, something we feel every collective should offer, so ensuring it wins in your area's something of a leap of faith.

- If you're not worried about fixing the rate, the cheapest variable tariff (ie, its rate could go up or down) is from GB Energy at £870/yr for someone with typical usage. To see how it stacks up, use our Cheap Energy Club.

Six gas & electricity need-to-knows. Full help & options in Cheap Gas & Elec, but in brief:

1) A fix locks in the rate you pay per unit, but if you use more, then the amount you pay can still go up. 2) If you're on a key or card meter, you can still save big by switching. See Cheap Prepayment Meters. 3) To get the lowest price, pay by monthly direct debit. Just ensure you then give regular meter readings. 4) If you don't want to regularly switch, go for a longer fix - it gives you a long-term decent rate with less hassle. 5) If you're in credit when you switch, the provider should give money back to you. Ask if it doesn't. 6) Cut usage to max your savings - see our Free Insulation, Green Deal and Energy Mythbusting guides.

SUCCESS OF THE WEEK: (Send us yours on this or any topic.)"In Nov I took out £1,200 car insurance. Having turned 25, I did a mid-year price check, and I got it for £230 following your Car Insurance tips. Thanks MSE."

How do you safely find the best deals in the virtual jungle? Our 40+ Online Shopping Tricks aim to get you the very best price on everything you need to buy, with tools to spot hidden bargains & slash prices. Here are 10 to tease you in:

1. Instantly compare prices across scores of stores. Shopbot sites compare e-tailers' prices; our MegaShopBot tool shows which is best for what, be it games, tech, perfumes or owt else. 2. Perfect time to pounce. Web prices yo-yo. Free price-drop alerts monitor when it's cheapest. 3. Hidden Amazon 75%+ bargain basements. Our Amazon Discount Finder manipulates the giant's URLs to create pages, eg, beauty 70%+ off* and TV 25%+ off*.4. The 'Is it really a deal?' tool. Use the Amazon Price Histories tool to see if the discount it lists right now is really a deal. It's also a very useful benchmark for shopping elsewhere. 5. You've more rights buying online. You've 14 days to cancel even if not faulty. You've then 14 days to send it back (you get the goods' cost refunded, plus delivery to you, but you may need to pay to send back). See online rights. 6. Web outlet stores up to 80% off, incl Argos, Asos & House of Fraser. Many big-names flog unsold lines at up to 70-80%+ off via outlets. Our Outlet Store Discount Finder lists & searches nearly 25 outlets for huge toy, clothing & other discounts. 7. Dodge scam sites. Find how to legitimacy-check unknown e-tailers before you commit and part with your cash. 8. 5% off ALL shopping. The top cashback card pays up to 5% back when you use it, effectively a discount off your shop. 9. Money back via cashback sites. Some sites get paid for sending traffic and pay you a cut, but see our cashback warnings. 10. Got Tesco points? The Tesco Summer Double-Up means a £5 voucher buys £10 of toys, cosmetics, games & more.

Question of the week

Q: I bought my buildings insurance policy from my mortgage provider as it said I had to in order to get the mortgage, but I think I was mis-sold and I could have got a much cheaper policy from somewhere else. What are my rights? Jenny, by email

MSE Rebecca's A: If your mortgage provider said you had to buy buildings insurance through it to be accepted for the mortgage, the policy may have been mis-sold. This is because, while you may have to buy buildings insurance as a condition of getting a mortgage, you have the right to buy from any provider (as long as it meets your mortgage lender's minimum cover criteria).

Contact the provider directly and complain to it, then if after eight weeks it's not responded, or you're not happy with the response, you can go to the free Financial Ombudsman Service. See our Home Insurance guide for full details of how to get the best price.

That's it for this week, but before we go, did you have a terribly paid first job? From walking two hours to earn a quid to getting paid 20p to balance the books, we've heard some stories. Tell us about your first job in the forum.

We hope you save some money,

Martin & the MSE team

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